A Kid’s Guide to Forest Fires

Forest fires have the power to cause a lot of destruction because they spread very fast and reach extremely high temperatures. Depending on the size of a forest fire, it may take several days and multiple teams of firefighters to put one out. Firefighters sometimes go up in helicopters to dump specific types of chemicals on a forest fire to put it out. They may also dig a long ditch at the edge of a fire to keep the flames from spreading throughout a forest. Most kids know that a forest fire can be caused by a campfire that gets out of control, a lit match that is thrown into the brush, or even a burning cigarette that is carelessly tossed into the woods, but, did you know that a forest fire can be caused by a natural element such as lightening? The following websites will help you to learn more about the causes of forest fires, how they can be prevented and how some fires can benefit a forest ecosystem.